Breast-strap connection.



PATENTED MAR. 3', 1908.

H. R. HENRIOHS. BREAST STRAP CONNECTION.

APPLICATION I'ILE DIEB. 9, 1907 HENRY R. HENRIOHS, OF WOODWARD, OKLAHOMA.

BREAST-STRAP CONNECTION.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented March 3 1908.

Application filed February 9. 1907. Serial No. 356.588.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY R. I-IENRIons, a citizen of the United States, residing at lVoodward, in the county of Voodward, Oklahoma, have invented a new and useful Breast-Strap Connection, of which the following is a specification.

The invention relates to a breast strap connection for connecting the breast straps to the ends of a neck yoke.

The object of the present invention is to provide a simple, inexpensive, and efiicient device, designed for use on vehicles and various kinds of machines, and adapted to facilitate hitching and unhitching the draft animals, and capable, when disconnected from a neck yoke, of preventing the breast straps from hanging around the legs of an animal and annoying it.

A-further object of the invention is to provide a device of this character, adapted to hold the tongue of a vehicle or machine steady, and capable of affording the necessary play or movement of the tongues without permitting the same to strike the draft animals.

Another object of the invention is toprovide a breast strap connection, adapted to prevent the breast straps from becoming lost, and capable of obviating the necessity of stitching, or otherwise fastening buckles on the same.

lVith these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and novel combination of parts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a breast strap connection, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawing.

1 designates a substantially V-shaped connecting frame, forming two upwardly diverging arms of unequal length, and consisting of two substantially V-shaped sides 2 and transverse connecting portions. The

sides 2 at the long arm of the V-shaped connecting frame are connected by means of a substantially straight transverse outer or upper end bar 3 and by an intermediate bar 4. They are also connected at an intermediate point between the end bar 3 and the intermediate bar 4 by a transverse pivot 5, which receives a tongue 6, extending outwardly and having its outer terminal arranged to bear against the outer face of the end bar 3. The long arm of the V-shaped frame constitutes a buckle, and is adapted to receive both ends of a breast strap 7, which is doubled and passed through a hame ring 8. The frame of the buckle of the long arm is rigid with and forms a part of the V- shaped connecting frame 1. Each end of the strap is provided with suitable perforations 9 to receive the tongue of the buckle, and the strap is adjustably and securely fastened to the connecting frame by means of a buckle thereof. As both ends of the strap are engaged by the tongue of the con necting frame, it is unnecessary to stitch, or otherwise fasten a buckle to the breast strap.

The sides 2 at the short arm of the connecting frame are connected by a curved transverse end portion 10 and a straight intermediate bar 11, which is adapted to confine a combined buckle and snap hook 12 at the outer end of the short arm of the frame 1. bined buckle and snap hook consists of a lower shank 13, having a bill 14 for engaging the rounded end bar of the connecting frame, and it is retained in such engagement by a pivoted tongue 15. substantially Ushaped in cross section, being composed of two sides and a connecting portion. The sides of the pivoted tongue receive the shank 13, and are pivoted to the same at the upper end thereof. A coiled spring 16 is housed within the hollow tongue 15 for holding the lower end of the same in engagement with the bill 14, which is provided at its inner side with recesses 17 to receive the engaging portion of the pivoted tongue.

A buckle 18 is connected with the upper end of the shank of the hook, and it is formed integral with the same, being provided with a substantially rectangular frame having slightly curved sides and connecting end portions. The frame is provided at an intermediate point with a transverse pivot 19, which passes through the eye of a tongue 20. The tongue 20 engages both ends of a breast The com- 7 The pivoted tongue is strap 21, which is arranged in a manner simi lar to the breast strap 7, being doubled and passed through a hame ring 23. Each end of the breast strap 2]. is provided with perforations 22 to receive the tongue 20, which engages the outer end of the frame of the buckle, as clearly illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing.

The substantially -shaped connecting frame is provided at its apex with apivot 24, from which depends a substantially U-shaped coupling member 25, provided at the upper ends of its sides with suitable perforations through which the pivot passes. The pivot is preferably in the form of a screw to enable the coupling member 25 to be readily disconnected from the V -shaped frame 1. The coupling member is arranged to swing laterally, or in a direction transversely of the line of draft. A neck yoke snap hook 26, which is provided at the upper end of its shank with an eye 27, is linked into the U-shaped coupling member 25. The neck yoke snap hook engages a ring 28 at one end of a neck yoke 29, and is retained in engagement with the same by means of a spring-actuated tongue 30. The tongue 30, which is composed of two sides and a connecting portion, is pivoted at the upper ends of its sides to the shank of the snap hook, and it is maintained in engagement with the bill of the snap hook by means of a coiled spring 31. The bill of the snap hook 26 is provided at the inner side with a recess 32 to receive the engaging portion of the tongue 30. The U-shaped coupling member 25 is arranged to swing trans versely of the tongue or line of draft, and the upper end of the neck yoke snap hook has an oscillatory movement in a direction longitudinally of the tongue or pole. By this construction the breast strap connection is adapted to afford the necessary movement or play of the tongue or pole incident to horse motion, and at the same time it is capable of holding the tongue sufficiently steady to prevent the same from striking against the legs of the draft animals.

The shank of the neck yoke snap hook at a point below the eye 27 is pierced by a screw 33,which pivots a substantially tJ-shaped loop or clevis 34 to the neck yoke snap hook. The U-shaped loop, which is detachably secured to the neck yoke snap hook, is adapted to swing vertically and receives a martingale 35, which extends from the belly-band to the neck yoke in the usual manner. When the neck yoke snap hook is disconnected from the neck yoke, the device will hang centrally of the animal to which it is connected, and it will not annoy the same by striking against its legs. The breast straps, which are relatively short, are of unequal length and are adjusted so that the depending neck yoke snap hook will hang centrally with relation to the breast strap-receiving rings 8 and 23.

Having thus fully described my invention, what i claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. A l ;-reast strap connection comprising a connecting frame having upwardly extending arms, one of the arms being provided at an intermediate point with a pivoted tongue and forming a buckle adapted to receive one breast strap, a buckle loosely connected with the other arm of the frame to receive the other breast strap, and means for connecting the frameto a neck'yoke.

2. A breast strap connection comprising a substantially V-shaped frame provided at one arm with a pivoted tongue and forming a buckle to receive one of the breast straps, a buckle loosely connected with the otherarm for receiving the other breast strap, and means for connecting the apex of the'frame with a neck yoke.

3. A breast strap connection comprising a frame having upwardly diverging arms and consisting of two sides and connecting trans verse portions arranged at intervals, a tongue pivotally mounted between the sides on one of the transverse portions of one of the arms to form a buckle for engaging one of the breast straps, a buckle loosely connected with one of the transverse portions of-the other arm to receive the other breast strap, and means for connecting the frame with a neck yoke.

t. A breast strap connection comprising a frame having upwardly extending arms provided ith two sides, one of the arms being also provided nith spaced transverse bars and having a pivot at an intermediate point, a tongue mounted on the pivot and cooperating nith one of the end bars to form a buckle, a buckle connected with the other arm of the frame, and meansfor connecting the frame v. ith the neck yoke.

5. A breast'strap connection comprising a frame having upwardly extending arms provided with spaced sides, one of the said arms having a buckle, and the other arm being provided with spaced connecting portions forming an end loop, a buckle having means for engaging the end loop, and means for connecting the frame to a neck yoke.

6. The combination ith. two breast straps doubled to engage the rings of a pair of hames, of a substantially ii-shaped connecting frame having u 'iwardly extending arms of unequal length, the long arm being constructed to form a rigid buckle frame and provided at an intermediate point with a tongue for engaging one of'the breast straps, a buckle movably connected with the other arm of the frame and receiving the other breast strap, and means connecting the frame with a neck yoke.

Y. The combination with two breast straps doubled to engage the rings of apair of hames, of a substantially V-shaped connecting frame having upwardly extending arms of unequal a neck yoke engaging snap hook linked into length, the long arm being constructed to the coupling member and arranged to swing form a rigid buckle frame and provided at an transversely of the line of draft. intermediate point with a tongue for engag- In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as 5 ing one of the breast straps, a buckle movmy own, I have hereto affixed my signature 15 ably connected with the other arm of the in the presence of two Witnesses.

frame and receiving the other breast strap, a HENRY R. HENRICHS. depending coupling member pivoted to the Witnesses. frame and arranged to oscillate laterally in a V. J. GREEK,

l0 direction transversely of the line of draft, and I O. R. COWGILL. 

